46
The Ypres Times.
Work was divided into four kindssalvaging, work on the light railway, leading
ponies from dumps to railway, and burying dead. Having tried the latter, I went sal
vaging, but it was a soul-killing business, clearing up the battlefield, making a dump,
and with each journey getting farther away. We collected shells, used and unused,
equipment, ammunition and even clothing from dead bodies. Incidentally, this gave
us an opportunity of replenishing our wardrobes. Work went on till 2 p.m., no rest being
allowed, but by getting away from the dump one could get into a dugout for a private
search, and in this I was fortunate in getting a greatcoat. It was possible to collect
nettles, dandelions and cabbage tops to take back to the dug-outs at night and augment
our very sparse and watery rations. The main topic of talk was food all the time, what
we had had and what we would have. This food talk sometimes nearly sent me crazy.
I tried the ponies next, but this entailed too much walking. They were as emaciated
as us and could not work properly. The only inducement was that a pony might drop
down exhausted, when an immediate rush was made to secure portions for supper. The
next variety of work to be sampled was at the light railway dump, loading ammunition.
We were very reckless at this, even to tossing bombs to one another on the chain
principle, but only one casualty occurred besides blowing up a part of the dump.
During this time gun-fire sounded quite near and aeroplane raids were a daily feature,
which drove the guards into dugouts for fear of the ammunition going up.
Escape from our immediate surroundings was the simplest matter of allyou could
easily walk away, but lack of food, directions,and not having a fluent knowledge of German,
forbade it. Several did so but returned voluntarily after a day or two and were punished
with a reduced ration. We were reduced to making many experiments. To make the
supper last longer, the black bread supplied was cut up finely and boiled in a pint of
water to make it pasty. Eating this hot lengthened the meal by quite 10 minutes.
Tobacco was unknown but there were several substitutes, senna tea leaves, coffee grounds,
dock leaves and any leaves, and for matches we used cordite. Sugar beet was foimd
now and again, but while being very sweet to the taste, it created a thirst.
Before setting out to work, the Feldwebel (Sergt. Major) would gather his guards
together and lecture them to the effect that if any of them showed a kindness to us they
would be sent to the front. This was the last thing they desired, according to private
talks.
On Whit Sunday, May 5th, we had another fictitious address given to us (Fredricks-
feld) and were told we could write home, but we had to supply our own writing material.
This was practically nil, most of it having been used to make cigarette paper. About
the middle of May we were awakened at midnight and told to bring overcoats and blankets,
if any. This was always done to make believe we were really going away, and in expectation
that everyone would respond. We set off into the darkness, destination unknown, and at
dawn halted on the roadside, and irrespective of the pouring rain laid down in the mud
and slept. On again after two hours rest and passing familiar ground we reached Cambrai
at noon. We were taken to the barracks and given our first bath (after nine weeks and
minus soap and towel), while our clothes were fumigatedand they needed it. While
at Cambrai I was able to barter a pair of puttees for two packets of tobacco from some
young troops just going into the line.
We had an extra bread ration issued (encore baths)and straightway turned our
faces back to the dug-outs. Torrents of rain as usual, but we ploughed through it and
reached Queant in an exhausted state and soaked through. We had marched 22miles
in the day. What was left of the night was spent in trying to get dry, but before this
had been accomplished we were in as verminous a state as before.
